에 따르면, (으)로 인해, 을 통해: according to, because of

By Daniel Buckley · 13 minute read · TOPIK 3

Vocabulary

뉴스 - the news
일기예보 - weather forecast
경찰 - police
사고 - accident
태풍 - typhoon
공사 - construction work
가격 - price
경험 - experience
결과 - result
노력하다 - to make an effort
합격하다 - to pass (an exam)

Korean news reports like to name their source first: 경찰에 따르면, according to the police. You can get through a whole conversation without phrases like this, but you can't get through a news story or a TOPIK reading passage.

You've met the model already in 에 대해: a particle and a verb frozen into one piece that behaves like a long particle. Most of these are the same thing. Learn each one as a chunk, and don't try to work out its grammar every time you meet it.

One shape for most of them

These phrases change their ending depending on what follows, just as 에 대해 changes to 에 대한 before a noun. Before a verb they end in the 아/어 form. Before a noun they end in ㄴ.

Before a verb, before a noun

Same phrase, two endings.에 따라 → 에 따른(으)로 인해 → (으)로 인한에 관해 → 에 관한을/를 통해 → 을/를 통한

환경에 관한 책을 샀어요.
I bought a book about the environment.
태풍으로 인한 피해가 컸습니다.
The damage from the typhoon was severe.
인터넷을 통한 구매가 늘었습니다.
Purchases made through the internet have gone up.

※ 해 is the short form of 하여, so in formal writing you'll also see 인하여, 관하여 and 통하여. Many of these can take an extra 서, as in 에 관해서 and 에 따라서, with no real change in meaning.

에 따르면 and 에 의하면: according to

따르다 means to follow, so 에 따르면 is "if you follow X". 의하다 means to be based on, and 에 의하면 does the same job. Both name where your information came from, and you can usually swap one for the other.

You're passing on what a source said, so the sentence usually ends in a quoted form: 다고 하다 or 대요.

일기예보에 따르면 내일 눈이 온대요.
According to the forecast, it's going to snow tomorrow.
경찰에 따르면 사고의 원인은 아직 알 수 없다고 합니다.
According to the police, the cause of the accident still isn't known.
뉴스에 의하면 올해 여름은 작년보다 더 더울 거라고 합니다.
According to the news, this summer will be hotter than last year.
친구 말에 의하면 그 식당이 문을 닫았대요.
According to my friend, that restaurant has closed down.

※ Take the 면 away and you have something else: 에 의해 means "by", usually with a passive verb, as in 도둑이 경찰에 의해 잡혔습니다, the thief was caught by the police. It's a written form.

에 따라: depending on, in line with

에 따라 is the same verb, 따르다, in the 아/어 form: following X. If X can vary, English says "depending on". If X is a rule or an instruction, English says "according to" or "following".

사람에 따라 생각이 달라요.
Opinions differ depending on the person.
날씨에 따라서 계획이 바뀔 수 있어요.
The plan might change depending on the weather.
회사 규칙에 따라 처리하겠습니다.
We'll deal with it according to company rules.
안내에 따라 천천히 이동해 주시기 바랍니다.
Please move slowly, following the directions.

So 에 따르면 hands you a source, and 에 따라 tells you what something varies with or sticks to. English "according to" covers both, and that's why learners mix them up.

(으)로 인해: because of, in writing

인하다 means to be caused by. (으)로 인해 does what 때문에 does after a noun, but in a formal register. You'll read it in news and on public notices, and in conversation you'd say 때문에.

Adding (으)로 인해

After a consonant: 으로 인해.태풍 → 태풍으로 인해
After a vowel or ㄹ: 로 인해.사고 → 사고로 인해지하철 → 지하철로 인해

태풍으로 인해 모든 비행기가 취소되었습니다.
All flights were cancelled because of the typhoon.
사고로 인해 길이 많이 막히고 있습니다.
Traffic is very heavy because of an accident.
공사로 인해 이 문은 이용하실 수 없습니다.
This door is out of use due to construction work.
스트레스로 인한 병이 늘고 있습니다.
Illnesses caused by stress are on the rise.

에 비해: compared with, for

비하다 means to compare. 보다 says which of two things is more. 에 비해 sets up a measuring stick, and it's often closest to English "for": good for the price, young for his age.

작년에 비해 물가가 많이 올랐어요.
Prices have gone up a lot compared with last year.
서울에 비해 이곳은 조용합니다.
It's quiet here compared with Seoul.
이 식당은 가격에 비해 맛있어요.
This restaurant is good for the price.
민수 씨는 나이에 비해 젊어 보여요.
Minsu looks young for his age.
노력에 비해 결과가 좋지 않았어요.
The result was poor for the effort put in.

※ 에 비하면 is the same comparison with 면 on the end. It's common in speech: 작년에 비하면 올해는 따뜻해요, compared with last year, this year is warm.

에 관해: about

관하다 means to concern. 에 관해 is close to 에 대해 when you're naming a topic, and it sounds more formal. In conversation, I'd stick with 에 대해.

한국 역사에 관해 발표를 했습니다.
I gave a presentation on Korean history.
이 문제에 관해서 이야기하고 싶습니다.
I'd like to talk about this problem.
자세한 내용에 관한 질문은 이메일로 보내 주십시오.
Please send questions about the details by email.

(으)로부터: from

You know 에서 for places and 에게서 and 한테서 for people. (으)로부터 can follow either kind of noun, and it reads as formal. It often goes with 받다 and 오다, and with organisations, which are neither quite a place nor a person.

회사로부터 연락을 받았습니다.
I received a message from the company.
고객으로부터 전화가 왔습니다.
There was a call from a customer.
부모님으로부터 많은 것을 배웠습니다.
I learned a great deal from my parents.
여러 나라로부터 도움을 받았습니다.
We received help from many countries.

을/를 통해: through

통하다 means to pass through. 을/를 통해 names what stands in the middle: the person who passed something on, or the medium or experience you got something from. The noun takes 을/를, as it does with 을/를 위해.

친구를 통해 지금 회사를 알게 됐어요.
I found out about the company I work for now through a friend.
표는 인터넷을 통해 살 수 있습니다.
Tickets can be bought through the internet.
이번 경험을 통해 많은 것을 배웠습니다.
I learned a lot through this experience.
대화를 통해 문제를 해결했습니다.
We solved the problem by talking it over.

ㄴ/은 결과: as a result of

결과 is the ordinary noun "result". Put a verb in the past modifier in front of it, and you've said what was done. The rest of the sentence then says what came of it. It's common in reports, and it usually goes on an action, because a result needs something to be the result of.

Making ㄴ/은 결과

Verbs: the past modifier, then 결과.노력하다 → 노력한 결과찾다 → 찾은 결과조사하다 → 조사한 결과
Nouns: just add 결과.조사 → 조사 결과검사 → 검사 결과

Pick a verb

노력하다노력하노력한 결과

열심히 노력한 결과 시험에 합격했습니다.
As a result of working hard, I passed the exam.
학생들에게 물어본 결과 절반이 아침을 먹지 않았습니다.
When we asked the students, half had not eaten breakfast.
병원에서 검사한 결과 아무 문제도 없었습니다.
The hospital tests showed nothing was wrong.
오랫동안 연구한 결과 새로운 약을 만들었습니다.
After a long period of research, they made a new drug.

뉴스___ 내일 태풍이 온대요.
According to the news, a typhoon is coming tomorrow.
사람___ 좋아하는 음식이 달라요.
Favourite foods differ from person to person.
공사___ 오늘은 문을 닫습니다.
We're closed today due to construction work.
이 가방은 가격___ 정말 좋아요.
This bag is really good for the price.
친구___ 그 소식을 들었어요.
I heard the news through a friend.

Listen and type

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Play it as often as you like.

consonants · left hand vowels · right hand

In a conversation

뉴스 봤어요? 일기예보에 따르면 내일 태풍이 온대요.

News saw? Forecast according to tomorrow typhoon comes, they say.

그럼 내일 여행은 어떻게 돼요?

Then tomorrow trip how becomes?

날씨에 따라 달라요. 여행사를 통해 확인할 수 있어요.

Weather depending on differs. Travel agency through can check.

작년에 비해 올해는 태풍이 많네요.

Last year compared with this year typhoons many.

Common mistakes

날씨에 따르면 계획이 바뀌어요.
날씨에 따라 계획이 바뀌어요.
에 따르면 names a source of information, and the weather isn't telling you anything. Here the plan varies with it.
한국 역사에 관해 책을 샀어요.
한국 역사에 관한 책을 샀어요.
책 is a noun, so the phrase needs its ㄴ form.
열심히 노력하는 결과 합격했습니다.
열심히 노력한 결과 합격했습니다.
The effort came before the result, so it takes the past modifier.

Check yourself

Quick check

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___ 내일 비가 온대요. (일기예보, with 따르다) According to the forecast, it's going to rain tomorrow.

consonants · left hand vowels · right hand

The verb ends in 면.

Summary

What each one does

에 따르면, 에 의하면: names your source. The sentence usually ends in a quote.
에 따라: depending on, or following.
(으)로 인해: a formal 때문에 after a noun.
에 비해: compared with, or "for".
에 관해: a formal 에 대해.
(으)로부터: a formal "from", for people and places.
을/를 통해: through a person, a medium or an experience.
ㄴ/은 결과: this was done, and here's what came of it.

Now you can say

일기예보에 따르면 내일 눈이 온대요.
According to the forecast, it's going to snow tomorrow.
사람에 따라 생각이 달라요.
Opinions differ depending on the person.
이 식당은 가격에 비해 맛있어요.
This restaurant is good for the price.